There are 13 Presidential Libraries and one Museum in the U.S. Presidential Library System, administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, representing the 13 most recent presidents in U.S. history: Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, *Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton and George W. Bush. Gerald Ford’s Library and Museum are in two separate cities in Michigan, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. They are all operated and overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The George W. Bush Presidential Library, which was temporarily located in Lewisville, Texas, is number 13. The permanent Presidential Center, located on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, the alma mater of First Lady Laura Bush, was opened on April 25, 2013 but will take an estimated 7-years to be completed. Both the Kennedy and the Carter libraries are slated for upgrades and facelifts.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library not only covers Reagan’s career as both Governor of California and President of the United States, but as also the film careers of both Nancy Davis Reagan and Ronald Reagan; an added fun wing.

And although not officially sanctioned and maintained by NARA, libraries have been organized for several Presidents who preceded the official start of the Presidential Library Office. They are operated by private foundations, historical societies, or state governments, including the William McKinley, Rutherford Hayes, Calvin Coolidge, Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson libraries. For example, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is owned and operated by the State of Illinois. The homes of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams have been preserved as museums or historical sites as well. Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello, which Jefferson designed, along with nearby University of Virginia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, as well as being a U.S. National Historical Landmark. The Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Massachusetts, preserves the home of Presidents of the United States John Adams and John Quincy Adams, of U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Charles Francis Adams, Sr., and of the writers and historians Henry Adams and Brooks Adams.

The national historical park’s eleven historic structures tell the story of five generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927) including Presidents, First Ladies, U.S. Ministers, historians, writers, and family members who supported and contributed to their success. In addition to “Peacefield,” home to four generations of the Adams family and also called the “Old House”, the park’s main historic features include: John Adams birthplace (October 30, 1735), the nearby John Quincy Adams birthplace (July 11, 1767); the Stone Library (built in 1870 to house the books of John Quincy Adams and believed to be the first presidential library) containing more than 14,000 historic volumes. United First Parish Church, where both Presidents and the First Ladies are entombed in the Adams Crypt are not now nor have they ever been administered by the National Park service. The Church is owned by the active congregation of Unitarian Universalists. The congregation has used its own resources including its endowments to preserve the building. In the past 10 years the congregation has invested almost $2 million to preserve the building for the next several generations of citizens and members of the congregation.

The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace was not originally part of the presidential library system. The Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, which administers the Nixon presidential materials under the terms of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act, was part of NARA; the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace was run by a private foundation. In January 2004, Congress passed legislation that provided for the establishment of a federally operated Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA. In March 2005, the Archivist of the United States and John Taylor, the director of the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace Foundation, exchanged letters on the requirements to allow the Nixon Library to become the twelfth federally funded Presidential library to be operated by the NARA, by 2007.

On October 16, 2006, Dr. Timothy Naftali began his tenure as the first federal director of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace, and in the winter of 2006 NARA began transferring the 30,000 presidential gifts from the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff in College Park, Maryland to Yorba Linda, California. On July 11, 2007, the Nixon Foundation deeded the Library and Birthplace to the government of the United States. On the same day, the newly-renamed federal Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum officially opened.

Presidential Libraries can be found across the country. Visiting one gives you, your family or your students the opportunity to explore the rich history of our nation and the leaders who helped shape our society. At Presidential Libraries you will find an array of things including museums with interactive exhibits, information on a large variety public programs, important educational and historical events and vast archives and artifacts of our country’s history. The Museum at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum, in partnership with NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston, tell the story of America’s exploration into space, the final frontier. The Reagan Library exhibits his retired Air Force One and movie memorabilia from Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Davis Reagan’s Hollywood years as well as artifacts and archives from Reagan’s years as Governor of California and President of the United States. The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library contains historical information highlighting the careers of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and U.S. Ambassador to England Joseph P. Kennedy as well as the lives of President Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

If you live close to a presidential library or museum it is worth a yearly trip or visits for special events. If you don’t live close to one it is a worthwhile vacation destination or should at least be a major stop on your vacation trip. Local schools would all benefit from a visit to any of the libraries or museums while studying U.S. History and especially the president whose library they are near. Online visits are also helpful to students.

With the exception of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter, every American president since Hoover is or has chosen to be buried at their presidential library. Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery; Johnson is buried at his ranch in the hill country of Texas, west of Austin; Carter plans to be buried near his home in Plains, Georgia.

Having had the privilege to visit several of these wonderful libraries and sites it would be my hope that every American visits at least one. It would also be my hope that national government would sponsor a general all encompassing Presidential Library highlighting those presidents who do not have individual libraries.

The greatest teacher and guarantee against repeated failure is a good understanding of the past!

Like this:

LikeLoading...

About Ask Marion

I am a babyboomer and empty nester who savors every moment of my past and believes that it is the responsibility of each of us in my generation and Americans in general to make sure that America is as good or even a better place for future generations as it was for us. So far... we haven't done very well!!
Favorite Quotes:
"The first 50 years are to build and acquire; the second 50 are to leave your legacy";
"Do something that scares you every day!";
"The journey in between what you once were and who you are becoming is where the dance of life really takes place".
At age 62 I find myself fighting inoperable uterine Cancer and thanks to the man upstairs and the prayers from so many people including many of my readers from AskMarion and JustOneMorePet... I'm beating it.
After losing our business because of the economy and factors related to the re-election of President Obama in 2012 followed by 16-mos of job hunting, my architect-trained husband is working as a trucker and has only been home approximately 5-days a month since I was diagnosed, which has made everything more difficult and often lonely... plus funds are tight. Our family medical deductible is 12K per year for two of us; thank you ObamaCare.
But thanks to donations from so many of you, we are making ends meet as I go through treatment while taking care of my father-in-law who is suffering from late stage Alzheimer's and my mother-in-law who suffers from RA and onset dementia as well as hearing loss, for which there are no caretaker funds,
as I continue the fight here online to inform and help restore our amazing country.
And finally I need to thank a core group of family, friends, and readers... all at a distance, who check in with me regularly. Plus, I must thank my furkids who have not left my side through this fight. You can see them at JustOneMorePet.

Make a Difference – Help Save The World From Brian Williams Style Journalism

Donate to AskMarion

Get Involved… Voting is a Must, But Not Enough!

The 2014 Mid-Terms were a sign that Americans are ready for a change and 2016 will define the future of America. So get involved! No more recycles... No more Clintons or Bushs! It is time for some new blood in Washington, D.C.

Reaganesque Sarah Palin is the Key for the GOP in 2016 to both beat Hillary and nullify the Dems' 'carrot' of electing the first female U.S. President!

Run Sarah Run... America Needs You!!

Palin is the Key for the GOP to both beat Hillary and nulify the carrot of the Dems electing the first female U.S. President

Search for:

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.